Explosive



JEAN A. nannnt, or PARIS, rnencn. I

Patented Apr. 20, 192 0,

nxrnosrvn.

1,337,451, Specification of Letters Patent.

No Drawing. Application filed February 4, 1919.- Serial No. 275,008.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J EArLAMn'min HARDEL, a citizen of the Republic of France, residirig at Paris, France, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Explosives, of which the following is a specification;

My invention relates to explosives and particularly to an explosive mixture comprising a plurality of elements each safe to handle independently, but which when com bined form a rapid explosive" of great power and efliciency and having a further characteristic that the chemical reaction which occurs after the mingling of the elements renders the explosive innocuous after the lapse of a few hours.

It is frequently thecase, and especially in operations at mines, quarries, and, oil wells, that it would be advantageous to substitute .for ordinary explosives, an explosive, the

elements of which are not mingled until the moment at which the explosive charge is to be utilized. The transportation of dangerous materials is thus avoided. However, a satisfactory explosive of this character has not hitherto been proposed although certain explosives of this general type have already been suggested.

- The first type of explosive having this general characteristic consists of the so called panclastites? composed of nitrogen I peroxid to which'is added, at the moment of explosion, a combustible such as a hydrocar hon (gasolene) or a substance previously 'nit'rated (dynamite). oxid is not a commercial product and is But nitrogen perf moreover a rather delicate substance having a very low boiling point (21 C.-70 F a fact which renders its use diificult under the common condition of higher temperatures and by reason of the further fact'that its vapors are extremely noxious.

- i A second type of explosive having the of use, it is more difiicult to make a satisfactory container when the mixture comprises a solid and a liquid separately housed, than for two liquids. Furthermore, the weight of a solid product contained within a chamber of given volume is reduced by the voids in the solid-and the explosive power of the charge is thus to a certain extent reduced. The mono-nitro derivatives, which are liquid, afford an explosive of much lower power than the higher nitro derivatives, and are of such instability that they are quite subject to spontaneous combus' tion. These derivatives, therefore, while less dangerous in the sense that they may be employed in an explosive mixture made at the place of use, may nevertheless be quite dangerous under certain conditions and present serious ditliculties from the technical strated that an explosive of this character is entirely satisfactory. The power of the explosive is greater than that of nitroglycerin, for equal volumes. The speed of detonation is thrice as great as that of nitroglycerina fact which renders the explosive more shattering in its effect. The mixture with nitric acid is made Without danger and without marked rise of temperature.

"Various mixtures are contemplated in forming the solution of dior tri-nitro derivatives in the' mono-nitro derivative, the sole condition being that the eutectic mixture thus constituted shall be liquid and that it' shall comprise the lowest possible percentage of mono-nitro derivative and the greatest possible percentage of dior trinitro derivatives. As an example, the following formula may be recommended:

Di-nitro-benzin 100 parts (by weight) Dinitrotoluene 100 Mono-nitro-benzin 50 5 0 parts to be mixed Nitric acid 450 parts.

lVith equal facility, it is possible to incorporate tri-nitro-tolu'ene in the mixture. Such a mixture is very rich in NO, and after mingling with a suitable proportion of nitric acid affords an explosive of great shattering power by reason of the speed of detonation.

The containers to be employed in handling this explosive may be merely sheet steel which is not attacked by either pure nitric acid or the mixtures of nitro derivatives.

An important advantage'in an explosive of this composition is that after the mixture with nitric acid has been effected, a slow progressive nitration occurs which is accompanied by the formation of water. As a result, if the mixture is not speedily detonated for any reason, such for instance as the breakage of the Wire which carries the current to the electric detonator, or the failure of the cap of an ordinary (letonator, the charge may be removed without danger after the lapse of a few hours in which time sufficient water has been formed to render the explosive mixture innocuous. It is of course intended that the detonation of the explosive mixture should follow immediately after the mingling of the nitro derivatives with nitric acid has been effected, and this presents no difficulty since it is possible by the use of suitable arrangements to efi'ect the ignition when desired. a A suitable apparatus of this type is disclosed in my co-pending'application Serial No. 253,407 relating to oil well torpedoes.

\Vhile I have referred above to the use of pure nitric acid, I do not wish to be understood to mean absolutely pure acid. It sufficesfor the purpose of the mixture to use commercial nitrid acid of a density greater than 1.49 and containing preferably not more than from 2% to 5% of water. No doubt other hydrocarbon derivatives than those above mentioned may be successfully employed although those mentioned are the most satisfactory now known to me. Various other combinations and modifications ofthe underlying thoughts of my discovery Will readily occur to .those skilled in the art Without departing from what I claim as my invention.

I claim- 1. As an element of an explosive mixture, a compound of 'monoand higher nitrohydrocarbon derivatives, said compound being liquid at ordinary temperatures and comprising less than 25% of the monohydrocarbon derivative.

2. As an element of an explosive mixture, a solution of monoand higher nitro-hydro carbon derivatives, the mono-hydrocarbon derivative constituting less than 25% of the solution.

3. As an element of an explosive mixture, a normally liquid nitro hydrocarbon derivative approximately saturated with a normally solid hydrocarbon nitro-derivative.

4. An explosive comprising a mixture. of nitric acid and hydrocarbon nitro-derivatives in which slow nitration accompanied by the formation of water occurs.

5. As an element of an explosive mixture, a liquid comprising a solution of monoand higher nitro-benzin derivatives, the mononitro-benzin constituting less than 25% of the solution.

6. A11 explosive comprising nitric acid mixed'with a solution of a higher nitrobenzin derivative in a mono-nitro-benzin derivative.

7. As an element of an explosive mixture with nitric acid, a liquid comprising a eutectic mixture of mono and higher nitro hydrocarbon derivatives.

8. As an element of an explosive mixture with nitric acid, a liquid comprising a eutectic mixture of mono and higher nitro hydrocarbon derivatives, the mono derivative being present onlyin sufficient quantity to effect solution.

In testimony whereof I have name to this specification.

A JEAN A. HARDEL.

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